Is sexual harassment a global issue?

Yes. But not every country has the same way of dealing with it. In some countries, there are specific laws against sexual harassment. In other countries, there are no laws in place. The level of tolerance for sexual harassment varies from culture to culture.

Examples of specific laws

Sexual harassment in the workplace was made unlawful in Australia in 1984 by the Sex Discrimination Act.

The European Union Directive 2002/73/EC on Equal Treatment of Men and Women in Employment, recognised sexual harassment as a form of discrimination in 2002. All member states were required to adopt it by 2008.

India’s Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act became effective in 2013 and states that no woman shall be subjected to sexual harassment at any workplace.

In South Africa, sexual harassment in the workplace is prohibited under the labour laws of South Africa. Sexual harassment is also prohibited under the Protection from Harassment Act No. 17 of 2011.

In other countries, however, there are no specific laws – yet. These countries include Mali, Mauritania, Cameroon, Iran and Saudi Arabia.